Improved excavator



UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

DANIEL JUDD, OF HINSDALE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVED EXCAVATOR.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 56,229, dated July 10, 1866.'

.improved excavator. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the excavator, taken in a vertical plane through its center. Fig. 3 is a plan View.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

This invention relates to certain novel improvements on the excavator which was secured to me by Letters Patent bearin g date the 10th day of Julie, 1856, and numbered 15,102.,

The machine claimed in said Letters Patent consisted of a scoop or excavator of a semi-cylindrical form, which was hung upon the axle of two transporting-wheels in such manner that the weight of the load of earth accumulated in this scoop was sustained upon said axle and could be discharged by rotating the scoop.

The object of the invention which forms the subject of this application is to suspend one or more semi-cylindrical scoops or excavators from a trussed frame by means of gudgeons or short end bearings, which leave the interior of each scoop clear for the reception and free discharge of earth, and also admit of the use of any required size carriage-wheels without changing the proper relative position of the scoop or scoops when brought in contact with the earth, as will be hereinafter described.

Another object of my invention is to provide for operating one or more scoops which are suspended from a trussed frame that is supported upon forward and rear transportingwheels so that the scoops can be brought to a working position, and also to a position for discharging the load from them, with much less expenditure of manual labor than is required to operate the scoop described in my patent aforesaid.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent two longitudinal beams, which are supported at their front and rear ends upon the axles of four transporting-wheels, B B. The axle of the front wheels, B, lhas a fifth-wheel, C, applied to it, so that this axle can be turned either to the right or to the left for guiding the machine.

The two beams A A are strengthened, so that they will safely sustain all the weight to be brought upon them, by means of inclined braces D D, which abut against shoulders at the extremities of the beams A A, and are provided with tie or straining rods a, a, so as 4to form trusses that will afford great strength and lightness.

The excavators or scoops E E are of a semicylindrical form, with their scraping or digging edge straightened out 'and properly shod and sharpened. Steel blades I) b may be applied to the digging-edges of the excavators, so that when they become dull they can be removed and sharpened. These excavators have short gud'geons or shafts c capplied to their ends in any suitable manner, by which the excavators are pivoted to hangers d d, that are bolted to the under sides of the longitudinal trussed beams A A, as .shown in Figs. l and 2, The two pivots or gudgeons c c of each excavator are arranged directly opposite each other, so that their axesV coincide, and these gudgeons may be cast with circular heads on their ends and passed through the ends of the excavator, so that the heads come on the inside of the latter. Other modes may be adopted for applying the gudgeons to the excavator. These excavators are arranged one behind the other, leaving suicient distance between them for allowing the front excavator to be turned over backward and its load discharged. The rear excavator should be arranged a sutticient distance from the rear axle to allow its being upset for the discharge of its load.

Two stops, c c, are applied to one or both ends of the excavators, for the purpose of arresting them when they are brought down to the proper position for digging, as shown in Figs. l and 2 in black lines, and also when they are upset for the purpose of discharging their load, as shown in Fig. 2 in red lines. These stops e e are arrested by the inclined bars of the hangers d d.

The excavators are operated by means of chains g g, which are secured near their cutting-edges at their ends, and extend back between forked guides h h, which project from the end of the excavators and are passed around ianged pulleys j j on turning shafts G. These shafts extend transversely across the beams A A, and carry on their ends large spur-wheels 7c 7c. The forked guides h h are adjustable lengthwise, and serve to keep thek chains g y in line with their respective flanged pulleys j j, and these flanged pulleys prevent the chains from moving out ot" place while being wound up or unwound.

By the combination of the forked guides and iianged pulleys, as above set` forth, the two chains on each excavator can always be kept tight, and the latter elevated or lowered without undue and unequal strain. As the chains are wound upon their pulleys jy, and their diameters thereby increased, the resistancey to be overcome will be diminished, until finally the weight of the load willpreponderate on4 the rear side of the axis of the excavator and cause it to discharge its load.

rIhe large spur-wheels It 7c and their pulleyshafts G G are rotated so as to wind up their respective chains by means of pinion-wheels 'm m, which have their bearings in vibrating arms at, that are pivoted to frames'J J, affixed to one side of the carriage, as shown in Fig. 1. Thev shafts of the pinion spur-wheelsi m m carry cranks o o, by which they can be4 turned, and the arms n u, to whichV these pinions` are applied, are made slightly elastic,so that they can be adjusted behind the shoulders 'L' t', Fig. 3, and held in this position for keeping the pinions in gear with their respective wheels 7c k. When these arms n n are moved from behind their shoulders and pressed forward the pinions m m will be disengaged from their wheels lc 7c, and these wheels allowed to turn turning backward during the operation of winding up the chains ggand discharging the load. When the arms n are moved so as to release the pinion-wheels from the large Wheels 7c 7c the pawls p p are also released from these latterwheels.

I have described a carriage which is adapted for supporting two excavators, one of which being iilled, the other is brought into operation, and when both are filled the machine is moved away and the load discharged wherever desired. I do not, however, confine my invention to the use of two excavators, as the carriage may be adapted for carrying one or more than two, as lnay be found desirable.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as. new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. 'Ihe combination of the excavator El with side supports, d, and frame A, substantially as described.

2. Constructing the ends of the excavators with gudgeons c c and stops e e, substantially as, described.

, 3. The forked guides h 7L, applied to the excavators, in combination with the iianged pulleysjj, applied to the winding-shafts G, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the pawl and pinion, applied to a vibrating arm, with the excavator E, spur-wheel lo, and shaft G, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

DANL. J UDD. Witnesses:

A.. Srons, ALEXIS E. WILLARD. 

